Gift Ideas for the Accountant in Your Life

Tax season is almost over, and the CPA in your life may soon be coming up for air for the first time in weeks or even months.  

Whether they’re a friend, family member or your personal accountant, a thoughtful gift is a great way to welcome them back to the world. Corporate gifts for accountants during busy season can help keep their spirits up and ease the tension of their work at a time when they are probably the most stressed out.  

But what are some good gift ideas for accountants?  

While there are plenty of accountant-specific ideas out there, keep in mind that accountants are people too. Each will have their own likes and dislikes, as well as hopes and aspirations for what they’ll do with their time once their busy tax season is over.  

Below is our list of thoughtful gifts for accountants. Perhaps you’ll see something that’s perfect for your CPA or maybe it will just spark an idea. We’re happy to help either way!  

Are there rules for getting your accountant a gift?  

Good question! 

When considering gifts for accountants, there are some potential legal factors to keep in mind, especially if the accountant is working on your personal taxes. 

CPAs need to ensure that the gifts they accept don’t sway their judgment or look like an inducement to act in special favor of the client.  

The two determining factors according to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) are 1) if the gift is “deemed to be both trivial and inconsequential” and 2) if the gift is deemed to be “reasonable.”  

In both cases it will be up to the CPA to make the judgment call on what is appropriate. If it looks like you’re trying to influence your accountant, they may refuse your gift because it could land them in hot water should you ever get audited.  

So before buying your CPA a gift, you might want to find out how they feel about receiving one first. Many accountants may simply prefer not to cross that line. If you do get them a gift, as long as it’s not too extravagant, you should be within the rules.  

All of this primarily applies to a person who is your personal CPA. If the accountant in question is your spouse, sibling, friend, or relative, then you have a lot more freedom to pamper them however you’d like.  

On to the list! 

Gift Ideas for Accountants to Help Them Unwind 

If you’re considering gift ideas for accountants at the end of tax season, it’s a good bet that the top thing on their to-do list is to find a way to unwind. Here are some great CPA gift ideas to help them do just that.  

Help them relax with a spa day 

Another great way to unwind is to spend a day getting pampered at the spa. Maybe a steam room or a mud bath is their style. Or perhaps they prefer a pedicure or full-body massage.  

This is another scenario where a gift certificate to a local spa could come in handy. They can take it and choose their own experience. 

Send them on an adventure  

If the CPA in your life has an adventurous side, they may appreciate a gift to help them explore that further. Would they be open to a sky diving adventure or a mountain bike tour? Perhaps you could rent them a getaway spot on Airbnb.  

Some of these options might be pricey, so find out how comfortable your CPA is with taking gifts first and if these are an appropriate dollar amount for gifts to give an accountant.  

Buy them a drink 

Does your CPA appreciate fine wine or a nice bottle of scotch? Or maybe they’d prefer a variety of locally brewed beers. You could also set them up with a brewery or wine tasting tour. If your account is more of a cocktail person, perhaps you could find them some new cocktail mixing supplies or even a class to take their cocktail-making skills to the next level. These are all good gifts for accountants who like to unwind with a drink now and then. 

Encourage them to start a new hobby 

Your CPA may have spent the last three months thinking of all the new activities they want to add to their life once they have time again. Maybe they want to take a painting class or learn to repair classic cars. The options here are endless.  

Gift ideas could include a class, one-on-one time with a tutor. or supplies they need for their new hobby. You could also purchase a gift subscription to a service like Masterclass so they could learn on their own when they have free time. 

Provide an outlet to let off some steam 

Maybe your CPA needs to release some stress after their busy tax season. In that case, they may appreciate a boxing or kickboxing class. If they’d rather break things from a distance, they could be into axe throwing, archery, or a shooting range. 

There are also more elaborate ways to let off some steam, including parks that let you drive tractors and backhoes around to move dirt and rocks. You might also consider “wreck rooms” that give you a helmet and safety goggles before setting you loose in a room full of things that break and shatter in satisfying ways. If any of these exist in your area, your accountant may love it! 

Get them a gift to snuggle up at home 

It’s also quite possible that the CPA in your life is more of a homebody and would like nothing more than to snuggle up under a weighted blanket and catch up with their favorite shows on Netflix. If this is the case, you could gift them a new streaming service subscription, a weighted blanket, or a new pair of slippers.  

Silly Gifts for Accountants 

The world is full of silly gift ideas for every profession and accountants are no different. Sometimes a good chuckle can be just the right medicine in the middle of a busy tax season. Here are some ideas for silly gifts to give an accountant. 

Make them laugh  

Accountants are known for having an odd sense of humor. Their profession is also full of puns, making it hard to resist putting some of the better ones on mugs and t-shirts to be enjoyed year-round. Any of these clever items are good gifts for accountants 

Maybe the accountant in your life would like a mug or beer glass featuring the words “Be Audit You Can Be” or “LIFO the Party.” You could also give them a T-shirt that says, “I’m Sorry for What I Said During Tax Season” so they can wear it around as a de facto apology to everyone they encountered during those hectic weeks. 

Gift them a silly experience 

If your accountant likes a good laugh, another CPA gift idea would perhaps be a night out for stand-up comedy or improv, if you live in a city there are venues of all sizes for both near you.  

One word to the wise though is the CPA in your life might be ornery at the end of tax season and want to heckle the comedian. If this is the case, perhaps consider sitting in the back, because it never goes well for the heckler.  

Practical Gifts for Accountants During Busy Season 

Accountants tend to be utilitarian. They like providing a useful service and see the value in things that they can use.  

Any items that make life easier and more comfortable are going to make great gifts for accountants during busy season.  

Here are a couple final gift ideas that your CPA can put to use right away.  

Deliver a meal 

If your accountant is working late nights during tax season, they’re not going to have time to make healthy meals at home. Consider getting them a gift card to a food delivery service or just checking in with them and setting up the delivery yourself. They’ll appreciate a scrumptious meal coming straight to their office.  

If they do get a chance to go home and cook, your accountant might appreciate healthy meal delivery plans that take the guesswork out of cooking. Subscriptions to services like Blue Apron are popular options and make good gifts for accountants. 

Gift a more comfortable desk setup 

The CPA in your life has probably been spending a lot of time at a desk lately. They might appreciate an upgrade to their seating situation that would help them feel more comfortable and support better posture.  

Consider giving your accountant friend an ergonomic seat cushion or lumbar support. These are all wonderful gifts to give an accountant that help keep their body healthy and limber during the grueling tax season. There are also orthopedic and memory foam options that can be especially helpful.  

While you’re at it, consider devices to help them maintain good posture while hunched over their desk during tax season. These can include posture straps that keep pressure off their spine while sitting or a Thera-cane to give them the ability to massage their own aching back muscles from all those hours in their chair. 

Wake them up with caffeine 

Coffee-making systems and setups can be wonderful gifts for accountants during the busy season. This can include everything from imported coffee beans, a coffee maker, or even a temperature-controlled mug.  

If your CPA is a coffee aficionado, they may also want their own grinder and an option to make coffee in different forms, like a percolator, French press, or even an espresso maker.  

Accessorize their workspace 

Desk accessories always make good CPA gift ideas simply because they have to use these items so often.  

You can start with a quality personalized pen and stationery set that will mark them as a professional in their field. You could also consider gifting them a stylish calculator or a Bluetooth number pad they can keep next to their keyboard for all the numbers they’ll inevitably be typing.  

Help them tune out the noise 

If you’ve ever tried on noise-canceling headphones, you know how amazing they really are. They can create a sphere of silence within even the craziest office. These headphones can also be a huge help in cutting out the chatter so your CPA can concentrate. For this reason, noise-canceling headphones can make great gift ideas for accountants.  

A similar option could be a white noise machine that adds soothing noise to the world around them. Your CPA can choose if they want the white noise in the office or perhaps at home so they can relax better while they sleep.  

Enhance their environment  

If the accountant in your life spends long hours in a drab office all day, getting them something to help perk things up could be a great CPA gift idea.  

One option could be wall art or decoration to give the office some style. A low-maintenance indoor plant can not only enhance the feel of the office environment but also improve the quality of the air. Plants are known to have a calming effect too.  

Give them a gift certificate to treat themselves 

If all else fails, you can always give your accountant a gift card and let them get something for themselves. Maybe they’ll choose office supplies, or maybe they’ll purchase something nice. You can leave it up to them to decide.  

We hope you found our list helpful. Just remember that accountants are people too, so go easy on your CPA this time of year. Perhaps the most thoughtful gift you can give them is simply a kind gesture and reassurance that the world will be waiting for them to come back and join once tax season is over.